The Diva Cup

The DivaCup is the newest women’s health trend, and why wouldn’t it be—it has completely revolutionized the experience of getting a period. The idea of a devise to collect menstrual flow has existed for years, because in many countries pads and tampons are not easily available.  The DivaCup is a reusable cup that is placed in your vagina during menstruation and can be kept in place for up to 12 hours. After 12 hours you remove it, rinse it, and reinsert.

Hygiene.  You may be thinking the same thing that blew my mind when I first learned about the DivaCup: “You mean to tell me I reuse the same thing over and over again?” I had this vision of a reusable washable pad. Turns out, it’s not at all like that.  The cup is made with surgical grade silicone which is a material that does not hold odors and cleans easily with mild soap and water. You can also drop it into a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes at the end of each menstrual cycle for added peace of mind. You have no tampon string that is hanging out and ready to latch onto bacteria and you certainly are not sitting in your period which unfortunately, for lack of better words, is the experience pads give you.

Safety. Part of being healthy and holistic requires awareness of what we put in and on our bodies. The organic industry is growing as we’re learning more about the negative effects of consuming toxic goods. Today you can find the organic or toxic free version of any product- including pads and tampons. Yes, if you walk the aisles of Whole Foods you will find “organic tampons” for just a hefty price of 10 dollars a box. What is an organic tampon? These products are made with 100% cotton, free of chlorine, bleach, dies, rayon or plastic which “non-organic” tampons and pads usually contain.
I tried the organic sanitary product road for a while, but after a few months it was hard to justify spending 10 dollars on something that would be..well, you know the fate of a tampon. Especially, when the cheaper alternative was on the shelf and staring at me for just $2.99. So, how does the DivaCup fit into this rant? The DivaCup does not contain latex, plastic, acrylic, acrylate, BPA, phthalate, polyethylene, or dyes and the worry of toxic shock syndrome, the cause of a bacterial growth occurring with a tampon left inside a vagina for too long, does not exist. It is essentially one of the safest things you can have in your vagina, well… besides a penis/sex toy but that’s for a different blog ;).

It works for up to 12 hours and you won’t feel a thing. I started using the DivaCup the summer before nursing school had started. A friend of mine, who was already a nurse, scared me when she spoke of the 12 hour long shifts on your feet with no time to eat, drink, pee, or worry about your period.  We all know, your period doesn’t just cramp your nursing shift (no pun intended). It’s an annoyance at any occasion.  The beauty of the DivaCup is that you insert it in the morning, and you go about your whole day doing whatever you usually do when you’re not on your period. Then in the evening I encourage my patients to remove it while they are in the shower. You’re already naked, you’re already washing yourself, and there is a drain for you to dump the content down. Wash and dry your cup, reinsert, and you’re all set for your evening. Some women will change their cups over the toilet (the same way you change a tampon), and that is an option as well.  Once you get used to it and comfortable with removing/inserting, you will find that you can change it anywhere and in any position.


You get to know your period. The cup is clear, so when you remove it you actually see the amount of menstrual blood, the color, the consistency, etc., which for some women is very fascinating and informative. If you’re not into that just, remove it and dump without looking down, again, the same way you do with a tampon.

You can receive oral sex during your period. Just saying.

It’s great for women with heavier periods. If the cup is placed correctly, it suctions around your cervix and you don’t have to worry about leaking the way you do with pads or tampons. It can hold up to 30ml of fluid, yet the “average” person will menstruate only about 4 ml in a 12 hour period. Just to put it into perspective.

It helps our environment. The “average” woman will use 400 tampons/pads a year. That’s a lot of money that gets flushed down the toilet (or trashed if your plumbing can’t handle that).

It’s a huge step towards gender equality. I love that the DivaCup has allowed girls to attend school, who in certain countries were previously required to stay at home during their period. I love that it gives women the opportunity to be completely care free every day of the month, the way men are.
So I encourage you to give it a try, and if you’re worried about how to insert it, give our office a phone call or come on in for an appointment and we’ll walk you through it. You can also check out their website at http://divacup.com/ for videos and instructions on inserting and removing.
Ladies, any of you out there ever use the DivaCup and want to share your thought? Please feel free to comment or send me any of your questions. I’m happy to answer anything you got!

Thank you,
Serena, WHNP, MPH, CLC



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